​McDowell on Texas"Texas will be the first mile-and-a-half that will really show your speed, aero and everything else, just because it’s smooth and consistent. Atlanta you have big tire fall-off and big bumps. Vegas is bumpy as well. And California, a two-mile track, has lots of fall-off and lots of bumps. So, Texas is our first real benchmark of where you’re at with your mile-and-a-half program.

“Last year was great for me there. I qualified well both races. I have a good feel for the tire and for the cars there. Any time you have confidence going into a race track, it usually helps when you unload. And that’s just what we want for our Love’s Travel Stops team. Texas is a home race for Love’s. They’re headquartered just up the road a few hours in Oklahoma City, and they always have a nice big group at the Texas races.

“Since they repaved it, it’s been a new Texas. You’ve got to be precise, you’ve got to be willing to put your life on the line there and really hang it out. Any time we have these repaves, they’re pretty treacherous. But Texas has done a great job with it, dragging tires and doing all those things to kind of age it. And the grooves widened out way faster than we all anticipated.”